Save the Vjosa River: Albanians Fight Damming & Diversion in Patagonia Short Film

The job of an activist is never done. Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika have been fighting for years to protect and conserve the Vjosa River in Albania. Their efforts to establish the Vjosa as Europe’s first wild river national park saved it from near-certain development by resource extraction companies. But even after that victory, the work was far from over.

The short film A River Runs Through Them highlights their continued efforts and struggle to defend this sacred body of water. They’ve sacrificed vacations, weekends, and precious time with their families to preserve the Vjosa for future generations. They regularly clash with construction workers and police, yet they continue to show up. These activists are intent on winning this war, one battle at a time.

To learn more about the Vjosa River and Guri and Nika’s efforts to protect it, check out Patagonia’s first film about their work, Blue Heart.

Runtime: 8:41 minutes